1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to computer systems, and more particularly to automatically identifying replacement times of limited lifetime components.
2. Description of the Related Art
With the growing deployment of computer systems and software, users often expect systems to operate without system downtime. Suppliers of computer systems are pressured by customers to provide quick resolution of problems. For example, a particular device of a computer system provided by a supplier may fail, causing system downtime. The customer may pressure the supplier to quickly replace the device in order to minimize downtime. Service personnel, on-site field staff, field engineers, or other resources dedicated to servicing computer systems for customers must quickly identify and solve problems to ensure customer satisfaction.
Service personnel may confront several challenges when attempting to quickly resolve customer problems. Service personnel may need access to accurate data in order to actually solve the problem. For example, a storage device in a computer system may fail and although service staff knows the storage device must be replaced, the service staff may have limited information regarding the specific configuration of the system. Resolution of the problem may be delayed as the service staff obtains additional replacement information (e.g., type and part number) for the storage device. Furthermore, exact configuration information for a particular system may be outdated or may be difficult to access. Thus, resolution of the problem may be further delayed.
Some or all of the computer systems serviced by the service personnel may include limited lifetime components such as air filters and batteries. Limited lifetime components tend to stop operating correctly over a predetermined period of time (e.g., performance of the component may degrade over time). Service personnel may forget to replace some of the limited lifetime components. For example, service staff may overlook replacement of air filters because seemingly insignificant components such as air filters are typically excluded from on-going preventative maintenance plans. Problems with such components may be delayed or even avoided if the service personnel are aware that these components are due for replacement.
Downtime may actually increase when customer systems include limited lifetime components that are overlooked for replacement. Thus, it may be desirable to have a system automatically track when the limited lifetime components are due for replacement.